#Socialites, get a load of this! Months after performing in Kendrick Lamar‘s Super Bowl Halftime Show, the performer who went viral for holding up a “Sudan” and “Free Gaza” flag has been arrested.
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On Sunday, February 9, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar shut down the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans as he headlined Super Bowl LIX (59). That night, the Philadelphia Eagles held a 40–6 lead in the final five minutes before the Kansas City Chiefs had two late scores, occurring after many of the Eagles’ starters exited the game.
But besides the big football game playing on the field, there was a performer during K.Dot’s performance that went viral that night as well. Videos began circulating on social media showing the man jumping onto a car while holding a flag in support of Sudan and Gaza amid the conflicts in the Middle East.
Kendrick Lamar Halftime Show Performer Holds Up ‘Sudan’ And ‘Free Gaza’ Flag During Super Bowl
The flag featured the words “Sudan” and “Gaza” on its white section, along with a heart and a fist symbolizing solidarity. According to the NFL, the man was part of the 400-member cast on the field and had concealed the flag on their person, only to unveil it toward the end of the performance. The performer was spotted holding the flag while standing on a car that served as a key prop after Lamar wrapped up his track “Not Like Us.”
Videos then showed the man leaping off the car used in the performance and making a dash from the stage before security tackled him to the ground and escorted him off the field. According to the NFL, security quickly stepped in and detained the man following the incident.
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The league said, “No one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.” The move resulted in the man not only getting tackled and escorted off the premises, but the NFL also hit him with a lifetime ban from all stadiums and events.
A spokesperson for Roc Nation, the Super Bowl Halftime Show’s production team, stated that the act was “neither planned nor part of the production and wasn’t included in any rehearsals.” Furthermore, the New Orleans Police Department chose not to disclose the man’s identity, confirming that no arrest or summons was issued at that time. They stated:
“The NOPD continues to work with (the) NFL and the halftime production team to ascertain any affiliation the individual may have had with the halftime show,” the New Orleans Police Department said in an email Monday morning.
Kendrick Lamar Halftime Show Performer Arrested After Holding Up ‘Sudan’ And ‘Free Gaza’ Flag During Super Bowl, He Later Speaks Out
Months after the incident, police have now arrested the performer in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime for holding up his ‘Sudan’ and ‘Gaza’ flag. On Thursday (June 26), Louisiana State Police announced that they took into custody 41-year-old Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu. They said the New Orleans resident surrendered to authorities after they obtained an arrest warrant.
Police booked him into the Orleans Parish Justice Center on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly. State police say troopers began investigating him shortly after the Super Bowl show.
They found that Nantambu “deviated from his assigned role” and disrupted the halftime show by running across the field with the flag. Security and law enforcement personnel ran after him, and he refused to comply with their commands to stop.
Reacting to the arrest, the NFL commended the Louisiana State Police for “its diligence and professionalism,” stating:
“We take any attempt to disrupt any part of an NFL game, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. In addition to the ongoing criminal case, the NFL banned the individual from attending any NFL games or events.”
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